The Gazing Abyss
by Friedrich Gallardo
Summary: Sometimes, we defeat the monsters we fight. Sometimes, the monsters defeat us. And sometimes, we become the monster. Be careful as you gaze into the abyss... OC's included. Read and review please.


**A/N: Hey everybody. This is my first Batman story and I'd really appreciate any constructive feedback. Thank you!**

**This story is rated M for language including some racial slurs, violence, drug and alcohol usage.**

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**_Prologue_**

"For the last time, this Batman ain't real, cuz!" Marcus wrinkled his eyebrows and frowned. He and his older brother Darren had been debating all throughout the day from leaving their home in the East End to their high school. Darren had been adamant for the last twenty minutes on his stance but Marcus had been equally as passionate.

"Yes he is, yo. Tré said he saw him take out these niggas tryin' to rob this house down the street from us." Marcus said. Darren folded his arms and scoffed.

"That nigga Tré a dummy and a liar. All that lead paint down the block must be fuckin' with his brain." Marcus tried to resist snickering. Darren had a point about Tré. His imagination did often get the best of him and everybody in the East End knew that he was a prolific liar. But the way he described it seemed too real. Marcus didn't need Tré's word however.

"What about on the news? Remember when the police bombed that old abandoned building in the Lower East End?" Marcus asked. Darren shook his head.

"That could've been anyone. You know the pigs 'round here will kill anybody that even thinks about jaywalking." Darren said. Marcus frowned. His brother was a stubborn one, but he did have a point about the police. Earlier in the year, one of his brother's friends had been beaten up and thrown into a dumpster by some cop named Flass. Ever since then, everyone had been treading on eggshells when a cop car pulled up. And if what he thought was true and the police opposed Batman, maybe he was someone to look up to.

"Still, D…" Marcus said. His brother paused and turned around.

"Answer this question, little brother…what grown ass man do you know would be running around dressed like a bat?"

"Maybe he's not a man…" Marcus replied. Darren sighed.

"Jesus Christ…what would he be then? A shadow monster? A bat creature thing? That _sounds_ like some shit Tré would think of." Darren said as he turned and continued walking. "Come on, we're going to be late." He called behind him. Marcus sighed softly and tucked his hands into his pockets and picked up his pace to catch up to his brother. The two boys finally approached their school, Narrow High, the midnight blue and white banners hanging on the building's side and the statue of a violent stallion reared up on its hind legs in the middle of the bus loop. Everyone appeared to be going inside for classes except for a large group of boys dressed in purple and gold that stood posted against pillars on the outside of the school.

_Park Row Purps_. Marcus thought with dread. As Darren and Marcus walked up, one of them stopped what he was doing and stared. Michael felt his older brother pull him closer. "Stay close to me." He whispered softly. The two of them kept their pace as they walked towards the school entrance although Marcus could feel that Darren was trying to rush inside.

"So you just not gon' speak, huh, D?" a voice called. Darren's feet kept moving and Marcus turned around to see three of the Purp gang members moving towards them.

"D." Marcus said softly. His older brother nodded slightly.

"I know." Darren whispered back. His face was flint now. The face he usually made before he was about to get into a fight. Marcus walked forward a little just barely before Darren dropped his bag.

Watching his brother fight was both scary and exciting. Exciting because his brother was as skilled a street fighter as they came and scary because sometimes, he let go of his emotions. Even now as the Purp gang members descended upon his brother, Marcus felt a small pang of worry. Three against one wasn't anything new for Darren. Marcus had seen him fight off more people before but this fight now was personal. Not alone were the Park Row Purps from a rival neighborhood, but Darren was friends with bangers from the East End. He was an enemy of theirs and they would give him an enemy's beating.

Or they would try.

Darren elbowed the first boy that touched him and threw his fist forward into the nose of the boy that approached him to his front. The third Purp member tackled him to the ground and threw punches down towards him. Darren blocked as well as he could and rolled his body to the side as the boy on top went off balance. The other two boys rushed towards them and Darren leapt to his feet and tackled one of them to the ground, swinging wildly. Marcus looked over at the rest of the Purp members and narrowed his eyes as they started to move towards his brother and the three boys. He balled up his fist and gulped. He wasn't sure if he was ready to fight…

"Hey, you boys! Get the hell in this building now!" a voice boomed over the bus loop. Marcus glanced toward the school entrance and saw as the school police ran out towards them. _Shit_…Marcus thought. The Narrow High police were GCPD rejects assigned with "protecting" students, something they oft times barely did. Marcus had seen some of them beat teenagers, both male and female, like they were grown men for simple cafeteria fights and spray mace into the halls. He'd also heard more disturbing stories that he prayed to God weren't true.

Darren knew better than to keep fighting when he heard the administrator's voice. Almost immediately, he leapt to his feet and ran back to Marcus, grabbing him by his coat and pushing him towards the entrance. The administrator stared at them as they approached and when they were well within earshot, he spoke.

"You two, my office, now." He said as he rather crudely ushered them into the building. Marcus turned around to look at the Purp members outside. One of them flashed gang signs while another flipped his middle finger and mouthed 'I'ma fuck you up.'

Marcus and Darren traversed the hallways towards the main office. Marcus knew that Darren was intensely familiar with this place. His brother was constantly in trouble for fighting, most of the time keeping his brother out of trouble. The administrator, a tall, bald black man with glasses sat in front of them and from the look on his face, he was fuming.

"Goddammit, Darren." He said in a hushed voice. "Can you go a _week _without getting into a fight?" he said. Darren's body got ridged.

"Nah, them nig-clowns had it coming. I was just trying to get into school and them Park Row boys came at me and my brother so I defended us." Darren said. The administrator rubbed his temples and removed his glasses. Marcus looked up at his older brother and saw him sigh. "Look…Mr. Locke…" Locke raised a hand.

"Just stop. Darren, I've tried to keep your ass out of the fire because I know exactly what you're facing. I grew up in the East End and I know that the gang rivalry between the Purps and the Riderz is only intensifying. You and Marcus are good kids and neither one of you are banging but you've got to help me. Principal Moore has been seeking for your expulsion for the longest time but I've been trying to keep your name out of the dirt. Just help me." Locke said. Darren sighed.

"I ain't making no promises, cuz…but I'll try. But them Purp-" Darren said. Once again, Locke raised his hand.

"They'll be handled. Just worry about you and your brother, alright? Just get through the day without fighting and I'll be content. Now get out of here."

/

Surprisingly, the rest of the school day for Marcus went on without a single hitch. The only thing that kept it from being a normal day were his freshman classmates raving about his brother's fight earlier during the day. The boys talked about him like he was some kind of hood hero while the girls seemed to be falling face first in love with him. Marcus couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction when he entered the conversation and proclaimed proudly that Darren Clarke was his older brother and everyone's jaw dropped. It made him popular, if only for a brief moment and for the wrong reasons.

By the time the day was over, however, Marcus' popularity was gone with the students. Alone, he sat at the bottom of the steps, waiting for his brother to show. He felt something crawl up his neck and jumped up from his seat. He whirled around, prepared to fight only to see his big brother snickering.

"You jumped like a bitch, yo!" Darren laughed, holding his stomach. Marcus frowned.

"Fuck you." He muttered softly, avoiding a swift jab from his brother. "You done with your after-school stuff now?" Darren nodded.

"Yeah, just had some work to turn in. Got to keep my grades up. Hopefully, that'll keep Moore and Locke off my ass." Marcus shrugged.

"You heard Locke. Somehow, we got to make a truce with the Purps." Darren's entire face looked like he smelled something sour and Marcus knew he said something wrong. He should've known better to suggest a truce. Even though neither of them actually banged, a lot of Darren's best friends bled orange and black and he'd go to war with them. A truce with the Purps would be a betrayal to his homies.

"Nah, fuck that. Them Purp niggas are phony and a bunch of bitches. They gonna send three people to bank one person. Bitch shit." Darren remarked angrily. Marcus nodded and smirked up at his brother.

"How much money do you have, D?" he asked. Darren reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of dollars.

"Hmmm…a couple dollars. Why, what's up?" Marcus flashed a wide grin. He knew his brother couldn't resist it, even if he tried. Darren rolled his eyes and sighed. "You want to go to the corner store on the way home?" he asked. Marcus nodded.

"Yeah, can you get me a mango tea and some candy?" Marcus asked. Darren begrudgingly nodded and plucked Marcus' head.

"Alright, little bro…don't push it." Darren glanced up at the sky. "We need to hurry. It's getting dark."

Marcus and Darren walked briskly down the street towards the corner store closest to their house as the Sun slowly fell from the sky, only to be replaced by the moon and a few stars. Marcus gleefully found his favorite mango tea and candy and could barely contain his excitement as he opened them both, dropping the citrusy candy into his drink to add to the flavor. The sweet taste and cool sensation as it settled into his stomach relaxed him and he felt himself smiling as he and his older brother left the store. His smile soon faded as they made it outside, however.

Gotham was a scary place during the day but at night, the city took a completely different turn. While some areas of the city were covered in street lights, others were pitch black with only the moonlight illuminating the gloomy, underdeveloped streets and ghettos. To get to their house, they'd have to go down one of those dark areas. Marcus had walked down here before, but something off this night. There was a pang of uncertainty and fear. He had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"You good, Marcus?" Darren said, looking back at him. Marcus hadn't realized he had frozen in his tracks.

Quickly, he nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. Can we hurry up home?" he said. He tried not to sound scared but his brother knew him better than anyone else did. Darren nodded and waved Marcus over towards him.

"Come on." He said. The path towards their house was shrouded in darkness. To their left on the other side of the street, there was an alley that was lit up. Crime Alley. Marcus looked up to his brother and felt dread. He was going to cut through the alley to their house. Why? Why would he go through there? And drag him with him? Marcus glanced over to the dark street leading to their house and then to the lit up alley and attempted to weigh the options but before he could, his brother grabbed him and pulled him forward. "Come on." He repeated. They crossed the street and made their way into the alley.

Something about this place gave Marcus chills. The air seemed colder, the Gotham atmosphere all the more foul and sinister. The vermin even seemed to be scared of this place. Rats that plagued the Bowery wouldn't step foot here. Marcus had heard that seventeen years prior when the Monarch Theatre was still open that the billionaire Bruce Wayne's parents had been killed here. That only served to make him more nervous.

The echo of footsteps caused Darren to stop suddenly and Marcus ran into the back of him. His brother's head darted around, looking for the source of the noise. Marcus looked too but he didn't see anyone. But he swore he could hear someone breathing, hushed whispers, the rising crescendo of what sounded like someone running…

Marcus felt something blunt bash against his head and he dropped to the ground instantly. He felt like his entire body had shut down. All he could manage to do was turn his head, watch and listen. There seemed to be a flood of people dressed in purple, the same boys that Darren had fought earlier. This time, they didn't just send three at him. The entire group of boys leapt onto his brother like a pack of hyenas onto a defenseless gazelle. Marcus heard his brother grunt from every punch that landed and felt his body begin to move on auto-pilot. Before he knew it, he was on his feet and stumbling towards the group of boys. Delirious, he reached down and grabbed the first hard thing he could lift, a brick, and struck the closest boy dressed in purple.

He only grazed the boy's back and before he could strike again, the boy whirled around on him and backhanded him to the ground. Marcus struggled to get up again, but the boy stood over him. Frozen, Marcus stared down the barrel of a gun.

"You fuck with the Park Row Purps, you get clapped, little nigga. Big brother should've taught you that." The boy over him grinned. Tears rolled down Marcus' face and he closed his eyes. The shot was fired and Marcus felt excruciating pain in his chest and the warmth of his blood coming through his chest. Everything seemed to go silent…except for one distinctive sound.

"NO!" a voice howled in the darkness. Even dying, Marcus knew that it wasn't his brother's voice. It was deeper and scarier, more like an angered monster than his brother. Everything seemed to stop and then slowly move forward again.

A shadowy figure dropped down in front of Marcus and in an instant, crossed the length of the alley. The Purps seemed to drop as soon as the figure got close to them, some letting out inaudible cries for help as the figure attacked them. Marcus just stared forward, his eyes slowly begin to glaze over. In the corner, Darren was staring up at the figure with wide-eyed awe. Then he turned towards Marcus.

For a few brief moments, things were clear. Marcus made out the figure with his pointy-eared cowl, long black cape, dull yellow belt and the black bat insignia on his chest. It was him. It was the Batman. His eyes traced over Marcus' body and he dipped his head and looked over towards Darren.

"I'm sorry." Batman said softly.

"You…you're real." Darren said breathlessly. Marcus tried to smile, but his body felt stiff and cold. His heart and his breathing slowed and he blinked once. His eyes didn't open up again.

_I told you he was real, Darren. _

Marcus took another breath.

_Batman is real…_


End file.
